The Mid West region spans approximately 285,000 km2, starting less than 250km north of Perth and stretching along the iconic coastline from Green Head to Kalbarri, north and east through productive pastoral country and the resource-rich Southern Rangelands as far as Meekatharra and Sandstone, and south into the fertile broadacre agricultural zone.
The region includes 16 local government areas notionally divided into three subregions that reflect similarities in environment, land use, demography and industry: the Batavia Coast, Murchison and North Midlands.
The region’s capital city, Geraldton, is the major service hub with around 73% of the region’s population of over 57,000 residing in and around the city.
Around 9% of the Mid West population identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, approximately three times greater than the WA average.
Traditionally dominated by agriculture and fishing, mining now leads the region’s economic mix after significant growth and external investment over the past two decades.
Construction, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture forestry and fishing and various population servicing sectors (including health and education) are all now well represented across the region’s diverse industry profile.
The Mid West is traversed by key road, rail, air and maritime transport routes and pipeline infrastructure. This provides our region with a host of social and economic opportunities.
The region encircles two major strategic industrial hubs and an extensive minerals province;
- The Arrowsmith precinct, an area with $10bn of current and proposed industry investment centred around on- and off-shore energy projects, hydrogen projects and carbon capture and storage, as well as mineral sands extraction, rare earths processing and fertiliser production.
- The Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area, a new heavy industrial area and multi-user deep water port for strategic and downstream processing industries to service the region. The greenfield Oakajee site is recognised for its world class wind and solar energy potential, which is ideal for the production of renewable hydrogen for domestic and commercial use, advanced manufacturing and export.
These emerging industries would activate a substantial infrastructure development agenda that has the potential to transform the regional economy and social landscape.
- The Murchison minerals province is a diverse sector focusing on gold, iron ore/magnetite, lithium, vanadium, nickel, copper, titanium oxide and critical minerals. There are substantial existing and new major mining projects planned in the area, plus a key science project; the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, hosting the Square Kilometre Array, a global effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope.
To capitalise on this, the region’s local government agencies, supported by the Mid West Development Commission, are committed to working together with partners across Government and the private sector to ensure master planning achieves positive outcomes for local communities.
Batavia Coast subregion
North Midlands subregion
Murchison subregion